SNOW HILL — A Washington, D.C. man, one of five suspects arrested last June following a spree of burglaries and motor vehicle thefts in Ocean City that ended with a crash in Wicomico, pleaded guilty this week to first-degree burglary, but will not likely spend any time in jail like his co-defendants.
Joshua Robinson-Gripper, 24, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary for his role in the two-county crime spree last June that began in Ocean City, but was determined to be not criminally responsible for the burglaries and thefts at the time of incident because he was not on the medications prescribed to him for a prior condition.
As a result, Robinson-Gripper was committed to the custody of the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) where he will be maintained in custody.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby explained on Wednesday the DHMH will keep Robinson-Gripper in custody where he will be evaluated frequently.
“He was deemed competent to stand trial, but an evaluation determined he was not criminally responsible at the time of the crimes because he had gone off his medications for a prior condition,” he said. “The court is limited somewhat with regards to sentencing in cases such as this. The DHMH will maintain custody and will evaluate him frequently and if and when he reaches a point where he is no longer considered a risk to himself or others or the community, they will petition the court to see if it’s appropriate to release him.”
Two of Robinson-Gripper’s co-defendants in the case, Christopher Bussey, 25, and Dominque Burton, 19, both of Washington, have already pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and each was sentenced to 10 years with all but two years suspended. Another co-defendant, Shinecia Mercer, 19, also of Washington, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years with all but 18 months suspended. Yet another co-defendant, Heather Haire, did not appear to a hearing set for March 3.
The incident began on June 15, 2014 when a vigilant citizen observed a group of suspicious individuals peeking in houses in the area of Teal Drive on a Sunday afternoon. Around 1:30 p.m., Ocean City Police were dispatched to the area of Teal Drive after a vigilant resident told a Public Safety Aide working an Ocean City Air Show traffic detail he had seen three suspicious individuals peering into area homes. Upon arrival, the officers located a vehicle in which the resident believed the suspects were traveling. The investigation revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen in Montgomery County.
OCPD officers quickly located three of suspicious individuals who were seen exiting the vehicle and each was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle. An investigator with the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office also assisted and located and arrested a fourth suspect in the area of 20th Street and Philadelphia Ave., identified as Haire, who was linked to the theft of the motor vehicle.
While officers were still on the scene at Teal Drive, two residents reported burglaries of their homes during which electronics, jewelry and other items totaling roughly $60,000 had been stolen. Many of the items were recovered in the stolen vehicle, in the suspects’ possession or had been discarded by the suspects. During that investigation, OCPD officers developed a fifth suspect and had still not recovered some of the property stolen during the burglaries.
Around 6:40 p.m., OCPD officers responded to the area of 32nd Street and Baltimore Ave. for a report of a stolen vehicle. Believing the stolen vehicle at 32nd Street could be related to the earlier recovery of stolen vehicle and the burglaries on Teal Drive, OCPD officers broadcasted lookouts for the fifth suspect and the stolen vehicle to surrounding jurisdictions.
Around 9 p.m., OCPD detectives learned the Maryland State Police and Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office were involved in a vehicle pursuit near Salisbury involving the vehicle reported stolen from the 32nd Street area. The pursuit ended with a single-vehicle crash. Around 8:52 p.m., a deputy attempted to stop the vehicle that reached speeds of 120 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone. Instead of stopping, however, the driver, identified as Robinson-Gripper, failed to stop. Stopped traffic forced Robinson-Gripper to drive off the road and the vehicle crashed into a guardrail. Believing the pursuit had ended, the deputy exited his vehicle and approached what he believed was a disabled vehicle. However, Robinson-Gripper again drove away, dragging the vehicle’s rear and front bumpers on the roadway, causing a cascade of sparks. Again, Robinson-Gripper drove west on the eastbound lanes of Route 50 before crashing into a dirt embankment that permanently disabled the vehicle. Inside the crashed vehicle stolen from the 32nd Street area, OCPD detectives recovered electronics and jewelry stolen during the burglaries on Teal Drive.